Happy Birthday to my Blog!

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog!  I can't believe it's been that long and that I've actually kept up with it.  What I really can't believe is that people take enough interest in my family's life to read our blog every day!  I love looking at the statistics and seeing how many people have read each post.  I thought for the one year celebration I'd highlight some of the big events of our life that have been chronicled in the blog over the last year.  I'm going to go in chronological order, not in order of importance.

1.  I got a job!  Blog post 9/20/11
2.  We bought a house!  Blog post 11/15/11
3.  Cooper turned 1!  Blog post 11/18/12
4.  We announced we were having a 2nd baby!  Blog post 1/19/12
5.  We went to Washington!  Blog posts the week of 4/5/12
6.  I finally went to see The Fray in concert!  Blog post 4/26/12
7.  We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary!  Blog post 5/9/12

Here is the first picture that was ever posted on my blog!  Look at that itty bitty cutie!

Here is the last picture that posted of him... where has the time gone?!

I've absolutely loved keeping up with this blog and love looking back at the milestones our family has hit over the last year.  When I was younger (up until high school) I faithfully kept a journal.  My mom still has all of them and it's hilarious to look back at all the things I wrote.  In high school and college I always had planners that had every detail of my life written down in them.  I've always enjoyed writing about and tangibly keeping track of my life.  It's even more precious to me now that I've got a toddler and another baby boy on the way.  I love being able to pull up my blog to recall when Cooper got a tooth, took his first step, or said a new word.  I would do this blog regardless if anyone took the time to read it but look at it as a huge bonus to my pastime that people find it interesting enough to read!  I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you who has taken time out of your day to read any of my posts.  I love the support and feedback I get from all of you!  Here's to another year of blogging!

Photo Friday & 34 Weeks

We've made it to the coveted 34th week of this pregnancy!  I thought my "safety zone" would never get here!  Cooper was born at 34 weeks and 1 day so from here on out we're mentally prepared for Clark!  My doctor is a lot more comfortable now that we've hit this mark and I just consider any time from here on out a bonus!  If he can make it another 6 weeks we'll be thrilled.

We had a pretty relaxed week indoors due to the heat and will probably have the same kind of weekend.  I feel so guilty when I'm at home in the air conditioning and Andy's out working in a hot FedEx truck in the 100+ degree weather.  Poor thing has to do it again tomorrow, too.  Since he's been working like a dog the last few weeks while all his coworkers go on vacation and take days off he's been rewarded with 3 days off next week!  I can't wait to have him home with us for awhile!  It'll be a welcome change of pace!  Here are our photos for the week... enjoy!

Both of these photos (above and below) were taken after my hospital stay last week.  You can tell I wasn't feeling too well so Cooper came up and loved on me for awhile.  Very sweet!

This was about 8pm and it was still around 95*.  Cooper had the right idea by playing naked.  

Andy is about 2 in this picture and I'm about 22 months... Cooper is 19 months.  I was trying to prove that the child had some of me in him but most people still think he looks like Andy.

He's SO proud of the fact that he can now get on top of the coffee table by himself.  He's growing too fast!

He's found a love of "choo choos" in the last few weeks so we set up this elaborate train set someone gave him a few months ago.  The only place we had to put it was Clark's room (who knows where it will go when he arrives) and Coop's obsessed with it.  At first he was terrified of it but now every morning when he wakes up he goes to Clark's door and says "choo choo" over and over until we play with it.

Heat Wave

I'm sure it's been this hot before in June but I don't know why it is when I'm 8 months pregnant.  It's been HOT this week and it's only going to get worse!  We're breaking records left and right here in the Chattanooga area and it's making this pregnant mommy irritable.  I said I wouldn't have another winter baby because of the strict house arrest due to RSV season (which Cooper still got it) and the time change... it's depressing being stuck in the house all day with it's dark at 5pm.  Those two things don't help with the baby blues.  I was glad Clark was due in August... until the heat set in.  Pregnancy makes you hot anyways and then when it's 100* outside it's just miserable.  

My busy toddler likes to get out and about and I like staying busy while Andy is working, too.  We're very limited though with this heat wave.  Unless it involves a pool (a pool that mommy can fit in too) we've confined ourselves to inside.  With my pregnancy being high risk and Cooper being so small and fair skinned we just don't want to risk anything.  Our MOPS group has been doing a lot of fun activities this week we've had to skip out on due to the heat.  Our nephew, Jake, is having his 3rd birthday party outside Saturday and it looks like we're going to have to skip it because Andy is working.  There's no way I can keep up with Cooper when it's 107*.  I hate to miss it but Andy's even more worried about the heat + pregnancy than I am so he's been strict on me.  We're going swimming tomorrow but I don't know if the pool will even be a relief if it's 105*!

Weekly Clark Update

Today was my weekly standing appointment with Dr. Emberson and I was there for a total of 10 minutes.  I hadn't gained any weight since last week, my BP was good, and Clark's heartbeat sounded excellent.  I had a number in my head that I didn't want to surpass on the scales during this pregnancy and I'm 10 pounds from it according to their scales... about 16 pounds from it according to my scales.  The doctor's scale always weights me about 7 pounds heavier than my scales at home.  Since I didn't make it past 34 weeks with Cooper I'm not really sure how weight gain goes from here on out.  I know if I start swelling I could pass that number quickly.  If Clark doubles his weight I could also reach that number quite easily as well.  I've gained 16 pounds so far (which I'm very happy with at 33.5 weeks) so I guess I won't be too hard on myself.  My appetite has picked up lately so I'm sure the pounds will pack on in the next few weeks.  

The only thing that sent me into a tailspin at this visit was the fact that he told me he was going out of town the 3rd week of July.  The Friday before he leaves I'll be 36 weeks and 37 by the end of his vacation.  If I were a gambler I'd bet a large sum of money that that's the week I'll end up having Clark. That's exactly what happened with Cooper.  I know we made it out of that fine considering everything that went wrong but I REALLY want Dr. Emberson to deliver Clark.  He has 2 associates (and a few midwives but they can't do C-sections) that would deliver in his place.  One I really like (he delivered Coop), and one I really don't like at all.  Dr. Emberson is really good about delivering after hours even if he's not on call so I knew if he were in town he'd be the one to do my surgery.  If he's gone then I'll just get whoever is on call.  I'm really hoping that if I haven't showed any signs of preeclampsia by 36 weeks then I'll make it through that week without a hitch.  If I am showing any signs of it maybe he'll just take him before he leaves.  Ahh... I don't want to worry about if for a month!  I've told my family to start making their guesses of Clark's birthday now that we know he'll be out of town!

Clark's Nursery

After what seems like forever, we've finally finished Clark's nursery!  It's all ready for that sweet baby to come home to!  We started on it back in late April/early May when we finished and moved his furniture.  We've slowly been adding to it since and last night we finally got the last pictures hung!  I love the way it turned out and can't wait for the brand-new resident to see it in a few short weeks!  Here is a tour of it in pictures.

 His wreath on his door... the flash kind of dulled the colors a little bit.  His name is at the top in green.

 His changing table/dresser that we refinished.

 A shot looking into his room from the door.

 Another shot of the changing table/dresser.

 We painted it a cream color and replaced all the hardware in black.

 His baskets to hold diapers and diaper changing essentials.  The blue bucket right beside that holds pacifiers.

 I bought a cheap map of the world off of Amazon and framed it for about the changing table.

 One of my sisters-in-law made his name for us.  It's covered in map scrapbook paper.

 This corner has all of his blankets in a basket (covering up our wireless router) and 3 vintage travel posters framed.

 The top poster is a ship in Hawaii, the 2nd is Lake Michigan Beach in Chicago, and the 3rd is another Hawaii poster.

 Cooper had 2 windows in his bedroom at our old house, now he just has one.  We had these blackout curtains left over so I used them in Clark's room.  I knew I'd be using a lot of chocolate brown and they matched perfectly.  Cooper can't sleep if any sun's in the room and I figured little brother would be just as picky!  I've found a valence that matches his crib skirt that I may purchase soon.

 All of the map garland you seen hanging in the room was made by my talented sister!  It matches perfectly and gives it some personality.

 This is the top of the other dresser we refinished.  A teacher I work with made him the train drawing (so cute!), Andy had that globe before we started dating, and I bought the Route 66 picture frame and little airplanes at Hobby Lobby.

 These 2 paintings are my favorite things in the whole room.  My friend, Rachel Lawing, painted these in no time for Clark!  She painted 3 canvases for Cooper's room of a sunset/pirate ship that are gorgeous.  These pictures don't do this justice... there is so much detail in every little continent and island, it's amazing!  The colors are so vibrant, too.  My flash took away from the colors a bit.  They are so bright and beautiful!

 They are hanging right over his crib, just like Cooper's are!

His crib and awesome bedding from my dear friend Jessica at Sew Mama!

This is the 3rd crib that's been in this house for Clark and it's perfect!  It's a black "grow with me" crib from Babies-R-Us.  Since we didn't buy a whole bedroom set I wanted something that would match other furniture easily in the future so we settled on black.  It looks great with the cream dressers and black hardware.  

 The bedding and pillow are from Sew Mama, the bed skirt is from Target, and the bumpers are from Babies-R-Us.  The little white crochet blanket on the end was made by my Mamaw when I was in high school.  She passed away when I was 19 but made me a blanket for my first born before she did.  I was terrified to use it with Cooper but told myself I was going to use it with Clark.  I have this deep fear of something happening to it but I know she would want me to use it.

 I bought inflatable globes from Amazon to use as his mobil.  I bought three different kinds, blew them up, and hung them with fishing line.  I love the way the look above his bed.

 More map garland from Aunt Summer!  His name is on this one, it's just really hard to see!

 A close up of the globes.  One must have came with a hole in it because as soon as we blow it up it always deflates a little.

I didn't have a lamp for his room so I pulled this white one in from our bedroom.  Andy hates it and we never use it so I'm putting it to good use in his room.  I've had it since college and wasn't about to let it go when we moved.  Now it fits right in in Clark's room!

Photo Session Sneak Peek

Anytime I need some pictures taken I commission my dear friend, Deana.  She took some amazing pictures at our wedding 3 years ago and has been our trusty family photographer ever since.  She took my maternity pictures with Cooper, newborn pictures of him, family pictures of us, and now my maternity pictures with Clark.  I've never been disappointed!  Andy hates pictures so we left him out this time around.  I wanted some of Cooper and me before Clark came and some of Cooper by himself. His last photo shoot was right before he turned 1 and he's already changed a ton in 7 months!  Since I had my maternity pictures with Cooper taken downtown we decided to have a more natural setting this time around.  These are the only ones I've seen so far and I can't wait to see the rest... she took over 200

A Little Scare

This week has really been an up and down one when it comes to my pregnancy.  I  had the steroid shots in the middle of the week and then I had another little hiccup.  Thursday night Andy and I were sitting in the living room when my back started hurting all of the sudden.  It felt like the pain I had in my back with Cooper when my lungs were filling up with fluid/shutting down but I was still able to breath.  I couldn't take a deep breath at all when it happened with Cooper.  I was a little worried about it but since I could breath we went ahead and went to bed.  I woke up several times in the night with it hurting but was still breathing ok.  Friday morning I headed over to my brother's house and my sister-in-law checked my BP for me and it was 122/80.  I wasn't having any swelling either so I knew I was probably ok but still paranoid since we were going into the weekend.

I called the nurse and left her a message and when I got a call back it was Dr. Emberson himself... I didn't figure that was a good sign.  I told him my symptoms again, pain in the right side of my back- under my ribcage but still breathing without difficulty, and he told me I needed to head to the hospital for some tests.  I automatically panicked and started crying.  I had been down this road before and really didn't want to do it all over again.  I called Andy and told him I should've never called but he told me it was better to be safe than sorry.  I then called my mom and made arrangements for her to keep Cooper while I went in.  He sent me to Parkridge East, the hospital where I had Cooper, so I knew the routine.  Luckily, I had my hospital bag packed and just grabbed it on the way out.  I was better prepared this time around!

When I got there and got admitted I had to give a urine sample, change into a gown, and get hooked up to the baby monitor, BP machine, and the oxygen saturation machine.  They were going to check everything through my urine and blood so I had to get a lot of blood drawn as well.  My doctor was in and out, which made me feel a lot better, and ordered some pain medicine for my back.  The nurse came in and started talking about preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome again (what I had with Cooper) and I freaked out a little.  She was talking about delivering Clark today and kept saying he should be fine if he came at 33 weeks.  I knew that was a very real possibility that he could come a few hours later if all of that was back but I was really praying it wouldn't.  After they drew blood they left me be for awhile.  To keep my mind occupied I called Andy and my mom several times to keep them posted and read a book I've been reading on my phone.

Thank goodness all the labs came back ok and they released me to go home.  They didn't see any signs of preeclampsia returning at that time so they felt comfortable enough to let me go.  My back was still hurting really badly so I got a prescription to help it some.  They aren't sure what's causing it but said the minute I have any shortness of breath, swelling, headaches, or any other symptoms I'm all too familiar with to call right away and come back in.  I was told to take it easy and follow up with my appointment on Tuesday as long as nothing changed.  I'm glad my doctor is taking everything so seriously, I couldn't ask for a better doctor through all of this.  His fast action gave us some peace of mind going into the weekend and he doesn't seem to get upset that I'm paranoid about everything!  I can't wait to meet this sweet boy but I'd rather hold off on meeting him for a few more weeks... Andy and I both realized today that we aren't ready for his arrival just yet!

Photo Friday & 33 Weeks

This week has been a bit of a roller coster due to all the ups and downs at my doctors visits.  We got some much needed reassurance about Clark's size and made it through the steroid shots.  Hopefully that'll be the only round and our next week will go smoothly... if we can make it to next Friday, 34 weeks, we'll be good to go and have a lot more peace of mind about Clark's delivery.  Other than the steroid shots we had a good week.  Cooper and I had some pictures taken together along with some maternity pictures and I can't wait to see them (my new picture at the top of the blog is a sneak peek)!  I found a neat pregnancy survey that I thought would be cute to fill out for this week.  Our weekly photos are down below... enjoy!

How far along?  33 weeks

Total weight gain:  up 16 pounds
Maternity clothes? Yes, since 9 or 10 weeks along.  : )
Stretch marks?  One new one... I had a few from Cooper.
Sleep:  I can fall asleep pretty easily but from the first bathroom break it's down hill from there... lots of tossing and turning.
Best moment this week:  Having an ultrasound and gaining some peace of mind on Clark's size, and having Cooper & Mommy/maternity pictures done.
Miss Anything?  My energy and a full night of sleep.
Movement:  Lots of movement, some of which really hurts!
Food cravings:  Chocolate, milkshakes, peanut butter, milk (very odd for me), and salty things (which I can't have due to BP diet)
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope, I've been very fortunate!
Gender:  Boy
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms:  Very tired, more swelling, pain in lower back (a lot of that due to steroid shots), and restless legs.
Belly Button in or out?  Technically in but flat.
Wedding rings on or off?  Off since week 16.
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Pretty much happy but very emotional!
Looking forward to:  Making it over our 34 week "safety zone" point next and meeting this sweet boy!

 He thinks he's a monkey.

 Swimming with friends!

 My men on Father's Day!

More guitar playing... Andy learned how to play my favorite song by The Fray on guitar this week and sang it to me... swoon!  : )

I found an app on my phone that let me do this... Cooper freaked out when he saw it!